The present invention relates to force/pressure sensors and, more particularly, to a novel force/pressure sensor utilizing a stack of annular rings of a magnetoelastic material, for sensing the magnitude of a force imparted to the sensor substantially along the ring stack axis.
It is known to measure the magnitude of a force by means of magnetoelastic sensing elements. Typically, the magnetoelastic force sensor requires at least one tape-wound toroidal ring of a magnetoelastic material, such as an amorphous metal alloy; such a sensor operates responsive to distortion of the tape-wound ring by a radially-acting force. In addition to the use of tape-wound toroidal cores of magnetoelastic material for force sensing, other force sensors utilize a flat amorphous metal ribbon which is placed under tension, and has the force to be measured applied to a surface of the tensioned ribbon. Both approaches are somewhat mechanically complex and, therefore, costly and the repeatability of each sensor in a group thereof appears to be dependent upon the metallurgical processes utilized to originally process the magnetoelastic material. It is therefore highly desirable to provide a magnetoelastic force/pressure sensor utilizing a relatively simple mechanical configuration, having low cost and relatively repeatable sensitivity to displacement, force, or pressure.